Tool for cleaning internal-combustion engine oil passages



TOOL FOR CLEANING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE OIL. PASSAGES Filed May 31,1962 Jan. 28, 1964 F. D. NUTTALL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

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INVENTOR Jan. 28, 1964 F. D. NUTTALL 3,

TOOL FOR CLEANING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE OIL PASSAGES Filed May 51,1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fm. a.

INVENTOR United States Patent Ofi ice 3,119,141 Patented Jan. 28, 19643,119,141 TOOL FOR CLEANING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE OIL IASSAGES FredD. Nuttall, P.(). Box 65, Gnley, Va., assignor of one.- fourth to GeorgeW. Mapp, .Ir., Accomac, Va. Filed May 31, 1962, Ser. No. 199,071 1Claim. (ill. 15-406) This invention relates generally to an enginecleaning device and more particularly to a tool for cleaning out cloggedoil passages in an internal-combustion engine.

Internal-combustion engines, particularly those of the overhead-valvetype, are noted for the problem of accumulating sludge and contaminationin the lubricating oil passages which, particularly when the engine isquite old, produces inefficient operation of the valve actuatingmechanism and leads to an abnormally high rate of oil consumption andrapid wear of the moving parts.

Heretofore, in order to clean out the clogged oil veins or passages onthe valve operating mechanism, it has been necessary to completelydisassemble the rocker arms and rocker shaft assembly in overhead-valveengines and to individually clean each part to remove the accumulatedsludge lodged in the oil passages of the parts.

The present invention contemplates a simple tool which, when connectedto a suitable source of fluid under pressure, may be quickly and easilyattached to the assembled valve operating mechanism, whereby in only amatter of a few moments the entire lubricating system of the rockershaft and rocker arm mechanism can be cleared of obstructing sludgedeposits.

Should the main oil galleys of the particular engine being treated alsobe clogged, then the rocker shaft and rocker :arms may be removed andthis same tool conveniently connected directly to the galleys, wherebythe main oil supply lines can be readily unclogged.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide acleaning tool for the lubricating oil passages in an internal-combustionengine whereby said passages may be unclogged without disassembly of anyof the valve actuating mechanism from the engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning tool which maybe usedfor unclogging both the rocker shaft and rocker arm oil veins aswell as the main oil galleys leading to the valve head of an internalcombustion engine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an oil passagecleaning tool having valve means incorporated therein in order to permitoperation of the engine being treated without the problem of having theengine oil under pressure flowing back through the fluid supply lineattached to the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil passage cleaningtool having mounting means adapting the tool for installation upon valveoperating mechanisms of different designs.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the inventionconsists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts, hereinafiter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 a perspective view of the invention showing the compressedfluid supply line in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the cleaning tool with the ballcheck shown in alternate positions.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view showing the tool mounted in position for useupon a typical overhead valve mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the lines 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a detail view partly in section, on the order of FIGURE 4,but showing the tubular body in elevation.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the valve seat end ofthe tubular body.

As most clearly illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2., the cleaning toolcomprises a body portion 1 having an injection nozzle 2 at one lower endand provided with threads 3 at its other upper end for detachablyreceiving a valve housing 4. An axially aligned bore 5 passing througheach of the above elements is enlarged within said valve housing toprovide a valve chamber 6.

The free end 7 of the valve housing 4 is of reduced outside diameter andis adapted to receive the end of a suitable line 8 for supplying fluidunder pressure. The main body portion 1 is provided with threads 9adjacent the nozzle 2 for receiving and retaining a mounting bracket 10.The mounting bracket 10' preferably comprises a pair of oppositelydisposed forked ends, each including a pair of parallel spaced mountingtongues 11, forming a channel 12 therebetween.

A sealing ring 13 of suitable resilient material is fitted about thenozzle 2 in abutting relationship with the mounting bracket 10 forreasons which will later become apparent.

The end of the main body portion 1 disposed within the valve housing isprovided with a plurality of radially disposed ports 14 cut through theuppermost extremity of the body portion and projecting into the valvechamber 6. The wings 15 or the upstanding portions adjacent the ports 14are provided with a spherical seat for the ball check 16 so that whenthe ball is in its normal position, shown in full lines in FIGURE 2, itis resting on this spherical seat; however, any fluid directeddownwardly through the valve chamber 6 and bearing down upon the top ofthe ball check 16 will readily pass around the ball and through theports 14 and be directed through the bore 5 and out from the nozzle 2 ofthe tool.

vWhenever any back pressure, in the form of engine oil under pressure,is directed upwardly through the bore 5 of the tool, it will be seenthat the ball check 16 will be pushed by such oil under pressure intothe dotted position shown in FIGURE 2. In this position, the ball check16 seals the axial bore 5 in the valve housing 4 of the tool to preventany of the oil from getting into the compressed fluid supply line *8. Itwill thus be apparent that a suitable b all seat 17 is provided in theupper wall of the valve chamber 6 adjacent the bore 5 in the valvehousing.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate a typical overhead valve installation in aninternal combustion engine. The rocker shaft 18 is supported by aplurality of upstanding rocker shaft supports 19 and is secured theretoagainst axial and rotational movement by means of rocker shaft supportcaps 20 fastened to the supports by means of suitable bolts 21. Disposedbetween the rocker shaft supports are the rocker arms 22 which arebiased against adjacent rocker shaft supports 19 by means of rockershaft springs 23. Reciprocable movement of the push rods 24 actuates therocker arms 22 which transmit this movement to the valves 25.

Suitable means are provided for supplying the hollow rocker shaft 18with oil under pressure from the engine oil pump. In this case, one ofthe rocker shaft supports 19 is provided with a vertical bore 26 leadingfrom an oil supply galley (not shown) in the valve head 27 anddischarging into the inside of said hollow rocker shaft 18 through anaperture 28 therein. The rocker shaft is provided with an oil passage 29immediately beneath each of the rocker shaft support caps 20. Thispassage 29 in turn communicates with an oil vein 30 disposed in the capitself. Thus, it will be seen that oil under pressure is delivered fromthe main oil galleys through the support passage 26 into the inside ofthe hollow rocker shaft 18. Thereafter, the oil is projected through theapertures 29 of the shaft, and oil veins 30 of the caps to flow over therocker shaft, rocker arms, push rods and valve stems.

It is not at all uncommon in engines of this type for the abovedescribed oil passages to become clogged with accumulations of sludgeafter the engine has been run for, say, thirty or forty thousand miles,at which time it is necessary to provide suitable means for cleaning outthese oil passages in order to preclude rapid Wear of the valveoperating mechanism.

To utilize the tool of the present invention, it is necessary only toremove the valve cover 31 and to insert the nozzle 2 of the tool intoone of the veins 30 on a rocker shaft support cap 20.

This is achieved by loosening one of the cap retaining bolts 21 andslipping the spaced tongues 11 of the mounting bracket under the head ofthe bolt and then retightening the bolt to retain the tool in itsoperating position. Should the oil vein 30 be disposed in, say, avertical position as shown in FIGURE 4, suitable spacer means 32 may bedisposed between the tongues 11 and support cap 20 in order to provide amore secure support for the mounting bracket.

Compressed air preferably under high pressure, for example, 180 pounds,is applied to the cleaning tool through the supply line 8 by anysuitable conventional means (not shown). This air, by-passing the ballcheck through the ports 14 is directed through the nozzle 2 and throughthe oil veins 3% into the hollow rocker shaft, where it will blow backall the oil therein outwardly through all of the other oil veins andpassages, whereby the accumulated sludge deposits will be cleared out.Since the outer diameter of the nozzle 2 is preferably of a size smallenough to fit within the oil passages of most makes of valve operatingmechanisms, it is necessary to provide a seal 13 around the nozzle 2. Asshown in FIGURE 4, when the tool is mounted for use, the seal 2 iscompressed around the nozzle and between the bracket 10 and cap 20 toprevent the escape of air or oil from the oil vein 30.

Quite often, particularly in the case of older engines, it is necessarynot only to clear out the oil veins and passages in the rockermechanism, but also necessary to clean out the main oil galleys feedingthe valve head 27. In such situations, it is necessary to remove therocker arm, shaft, and support elements from the head. Thereafter, thissame tool may be applied directly to the oil galley feeding the rockermechanism, as shown in FIGURE 5, and compressed air applied to the toolto blow out these galleys.

Depending upon the degree of accumulated deposits in the particularengine being treated, it may be necessary to apply repeated bursts offluid under pressure to the cleaning tool in order to satisfactorilyclean out all the oil passages. It has been found that a more thoroughjob may be accomplished by running the engine at, say, idling speed, inorder to actuate the oil pump to keep lubricating oil in the veins andpassages. In this manner there is always oil in the main supply galleyswhich acts as a head for the fluid under pressure from the cleaningtool.

It will be understood that many modifications may be made of theparticular form of the invention shown and described without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A tool for cleaning out clogged oil passages in internal combustionengines by means of fluid under pressure, comprising, a main bodyportion, a nozzle at one end of said body portion, a removable valvehousing at the other and upper end, an axial bore passing through saidvalve housing, body portion, and nozzle, a valve chamber within saidvalve housing and having an internal diameter substantially greater thansaid axial bore, said chamber coaxial with said bore and adjacent theupper end of said body portion, a plurality of radial ports cut throughto the end of said body portion adjacent said chamber, a plurality ofupstanding wings between said ports, said wings forming a spherical seatat the end of said body portion, a ball check freely movable in saidchamber and normally resting upon said spherical seat on said wings, aball seat in the upper limits of said chamber, oppositely disposed tosaid spherical seat and surrounding the bore in said housing, a mountingbracket disposed transversely between said body portion and said nozzle,a resilient sealing ring surrounding said nozzle adjacent said bracket,whereby said nozzle may be inserted in an oil passage on said engine andsaid tool secured to the engine by means of said bracket to urge saidsealing ring against the oil passage to form a fiuidtight seal betweensaid nozzle and passage, and the subsequent application of fluid underpressure to the free end of said valve housing will clear out theclogged oil passages by passing said fluid through said bore in saidvalve housing, around the ball check disposed upon said spherical seatand through said radial ports to pass through the bore in said bodyportion and out the nozzle, whereupon, when the fluid pressure isrelieved, and pressure is directed in a reverse direction from said oilpassage, said ball check will be forced off of said spherical seat andurged into said ball seat to prevent the emission of oil upwardly fromsaid tool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,543,614 Pence June 23, 1925 2,475,860 Stronach et a1. July 12, 19492,820,467 Mattich Jan. 21, 1958 3,034,521 Greenfield May 15, 1962

